Leap Of Faith
by Cherry's Criminal Mind
Summary: Spencer didn't know what bought him to that particular spot on this particular night, but if he'd believed in fate he would have said it was that. But now, how to convince the woman to step away from the edge of the bridge. A/N this was originally written in the Y/N narrative and posted on my other sites. I've had to do a speedy rewrite so apologies if somethings seem a bit off.
1. Chapter 1

Spencer didn't know what bought him to this particular spot on this particular night. But if he actually believed in fate, he would have said it was that.  
The sort of fate which you can't work out if you're pleased for or that you curse the universe for sending your way.

He'd finished up at the library, deciding to work home through Catton Park instead of his usual route through Main Street and down Second. He'd stop by the old ferry bridge he thought, he liked it there. It was peaceful and looking at the stars sometimes helped clear his head and he needed that tonight.

Bundled up against the cool November air he made his way through the park, the fallen autumn leaves crunching under his converse clad feet, enjoying the sound they made. It was 10pm so aside from the odd dog walker and late night jogger, the park was deserted.

Thinking back to the case that had taken up the past two weeks, he shuddered. The image of the two young girls that had been shot to death in front of him. The two girls he'd tried to save, but hadn't been able to talk their captor down from his manic high, convince him that everything was going to be okay.

Shots had been fired, his own aiming straight for the unsub once Spencer had seen him squeeze the trigger. But he'd been too late. And the unfortunate positioning of the girls had meant that the bullet had ripped right through the first girl and into the second, an unpleasant and unwanted reminder of an incident not too long in his own past.

Once he was certain the unsub was dead, Reid had rushed over to the second girl seeing that she was still breathing, blood guzzling from between her lips as she tried and failed to gasp in air, her eyes frightened and starting to glaze over as she'd grasped for Spencer's hand, needing to feel human touch in her last few moments of life.

She'd died two minute later, Spencer's hands covered in her warm scarlet blood, as he begged for her to hold on for the ambulance. His supervisor SSA Aaron Hotchner had more or less needed to drag him away, realising afterwards that this had triggered the memory of that horrific incident.

The paperwork finished, Hotch had insisted that Reid take a few personal days, perhaps contact his therapist.

Spencer had agreed to take the personal days, but had no intention of contacting his therapist. He'd get over it…. Well, he'd file it away to the back of his extensive mind along with the other cases that made him constantly question why he'd chosen the career path he had.

Chosen wasn't exactly the correct word to use either, he'd been groomed for the FBI from a young age, a visiting Agent had lectured during his time at cal-tech and had seen a certain quality to him.

Once Spencer had accepted that the FBI was where he was going to end up, he'd been offered a choice of entry positions. However profiling had been the only thing he knew he'd be physically capable of. He could ace any psychological exam or test within an hour, but still struggled to this day to qualify for the physical tests required. Due to his skills though, he was often given a free pass through, something he was grateful for but at times also resented. If he was perhaps pushed that bit harder and forced to actually have to qualify for the physical exams then maybe he'd actually push himself harder and eventually end up on the same fitness levels as Morgan or Hotch. He doubted it though, sports and physical activity just wasn't his thing, it never had been. Numbers and letters, linguistics and patterns; they were his thing, and they along with his true talent of being able to psychologically disarm someone rather than physically need to take them down, were among the things that made him indispensable to the team.

Continuing his walk home, he could see the old bridge approaching, but it didn't look like he'd be alone in his stargazing tonight.

'Damn it' he thought to himself as he wriggled his hands inside his pickets trying to keep warm. Perhaps he'd just carry on home instead.

As he got closer he could see that the figure was a girl, her long auburn hair blowing in the cool breeze. He could hear sniffing, a light sobbing and it sounded like she was talking to herself.

It was only then that he realised she was on the other side of the bridge, her back to the railings, arms looped around the iron poles.

Shit.

He stopped, assessing the situation and not wanting to move any closer until he was sure on his course of action. Every few seconds she'd lean forward slightly, her grip loosening, and then she'd seem to lose her nerve and pressing herself back against the stone and metal barrier.

The water below wasn't that deep, but it was freezing and the river was fairly deserted at this time of night. Due to the structure of the bridge, depending on the angle she fell at, she'd likely hit her head on the way down as well. There's no doubt that if she went in she'd end up dead one way or another.

He could see a suitcase and a bag leaning up against the side of the barrier along with a pair of high heeled shoes, presuming they were hers. She looked too well dressed and too neat to be homeless so he assumed she was travelling. But what had bought her here, what was so bad that it had her hanging off the side of a bridge in a deserted Park at 10pm at night.

There was only way for him to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't want to startle you but….."

Shit. She gripped the railings tighter, the voice cutting through the breeze and making her jump slightly. She regained her balance quickly, the cold metal feeling like it was burning her hands, she was gripping it so tightly.

Brilliant.

She was no longer alone. That was definitely going to make this harder than it already was.

Maybe if she ignored him, he'd just get bored and go away? Or maybe if she asked him politely, he'd go away? People didn't want to involve themselves with this right? I mean who really wanted to watch a 29 year old girl plunge to their death?

Although given what she'd read on the Internet, there were a fair few sickos out there who would have.

Ugh.

She knew she should have gone for the pills instead. Or the razor. But that would have meant checking back into a hotel room. And she'd be discovered pretty quickly. That was something she didn't want. The river below looked fairly fast moving, and her hope was that she'd be swept away and that it would take a few days for her body to be recovered and matched up with the suitcase and belongings she was leaving behind.

She should have waited until later in the evening. It had seemed quiet, and she'd been stood here for the last two hours and he was only the second person that had come this way. The first had barely given her a glance, despite the crying. But then again, she had been on the other side of the railings at that point.

Why was this so hard?

"Um….. My name's Spencer Reid. Listen…. Is there someone I can call? Someone who you need to talk to? You don't have to do this."

She glanced over to where the voice was coming from, seeing a tall gangly man with messy hair, a dirty blonde colour. He was wrapped in a dark duffel coat, an aubergine coloured scarf around his neck, the ends blowing in the wind.

Looking back to the water and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She started to lean forward again slightly, the way she had been for the last twenty minutes. Hearing a rush, she looked back up. The man had suddenly bolted towards her and was now only a few feet away.

"Don't come any closer. Please" she managed to choke out, sure that the wind would swallow her words whole.

"I won't…. I promise. Just… Let's talk okay. What's your name? I'm Spencer." He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, as if to prove that he wasn't going to move. His hair was longer than the average males and she could see him fighting to keep it out of his face, the same way she was.

"I don't want to talk. Just…. Leave me alone. Please!"

"I can't do that now…. I'm sorry but I'm here now. I can't walk away. I'm involved."

"You're not involved at all. Just leave. Please. Pretend you were never here."

He rubbed his hands together, blowing on them to keep them warm. It was freezing out tonight. She could barely feel her fingers now, and her legs and feet were starting to feel numb too, the wind whipping through the thin material of her tights.

"I can't pretend. I _am_ here. And I'm not going to leave. Please just come over the railing. We can talk. We don't have to go anywhere away from here. We don't have to even talk about what ever it is that's made you feel that jumping is the only way out….. We can talk about…. books or films, or colours. Or where you're from. You're British right?"

No shit…. She shook her head trying to shake the hair out of her eyes again.

"What good will talking about any of that do? Please just piss off and leave me alone."

"You're wearing a lot of purple and lilac, so I bet that's your favourite colour right… Mine too. See.. …" He tugged on the ends of his scarf. "Purple…. And the bag down there. Is that a Cheshire cat keyring attached to it? I'm guessing you're an Alice fan?"

" _Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'  
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.  
'I don't much care where -' said Alice.  
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.  
'- so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.  
'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough_."

The man read the quote verbatim without even seeming to need to think about it. Impressive.

But she could quote that book too, and one line in particular seemed very fitting right now.

" _If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does."_ She raised an eyebrows at him hoping he'd get the hint.

"So you are a fan then? You know the Dodo in the book is actually based on Lewis Carroll himself… Due to his stammer he used to introduce himself as 'Do-do-Dodgson….His stutter actually prevented him from his original career choice which was to become a priest, so he ended up becoming a mathematician and author instead."

"I'm guessing you didn't get the hint then." She stared at the man in wonderment.

"Oh I got your hint. But I'm not leaving….And I'm really hoping you're not still planning on jumping because that water looks cold and I really wasn't planning on getting wet tonight… Well, aside from a nice hot bath which I could really do with now. I'm freezing. And your lips are starting to turn blue." He talked fast, his sentences streaming into each other.

"Why would you have to get wet?"

"Well if you jump, I kinda have to jump in afterwards and save you."

"But I don't want saving, that's the point" she spoke through gritted teeth.

"And I don't really want to plunge into a freezing cold river either, but it looks like neither of us will get the ending we wanted. You jump, I jump." He inched closer and she looked at him sharply. He stopped. If he reached out now, he could touch her.

"Are we in a James Cameron movie or something? Look I really don't need a Jack Dawson coming to save me. I'm not some poor little rich girl, being forced into a marriage of convenience and last I checked, we weren't aboard a doomed ship." This was starting to get ridiculous now.  
"Titanic right? I can quote that too." For some reason, that didn't surprise her. He moved oh so slightly.

"Just stay back okay. I'll let go, I swear it."

"No you won't. You would have done it by now."

He grinned "Told you I could quote it."

What….. Just what.

The grin faded as quickly as it had appeared as he tried again.

"Please…. Just, come back over the railing. We could do this all night. I'm not going anywhere and I'm fairly certain you won't jump with me here, because you're not the sort of person who would jeopardise someone else's safety for her own wants."

"How do you even know what type of person I am. You don't know me!" she scowled at him.

"You're right. I don't know you as a person, I don't know exactly what is going through your mind right now. I wish I did. I wish I could tell you that everything is going to be okay and I wish I could take away whatever pain you're experiencing that has made you think that you have no other way out. Can we please stop pretending that you're actually going to go through with this though. We both know you won't, not with me here. Come back over, let's go and get a coffee and talk. It might help. At the end of it, we'll go our separate ways again and you'll be free to come back here if that's what you still want to do."

He seemed to be getting desperate and she realised that he had a point. She wasn't going to jump with him here. She wanted to do this alone and she _would_ do this alone. And he didn't seem willing to go anywhere. She could have a coffee with him, and then come back later. Yes, that's what she'd do.

"Okay. Fine. Have it your way. But I'm coming back later. And you better not follow me." She turned around carefully, struggling to hold on with now numb fingers.

He moved closer ready to offer assistance, his hand reaching out and gripping the top of her shoulder as she carefully swung her leg back over.

Safely on the other side, she stood, smoothing down her dress and rubbing her hands together trying to get some feeling back into them, before bending and pulling her heels back on.

The man suddenly lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her in a hug ignoring the startled look on her face.

She patted his back awkwardly, thinking how quickly the night gone off track.

Pulling away he had a sheepish expression on his face. "Sorry" he apologised. "I just had a really awful day at work yesterday and if you'd have jumped, you'd have pretty much killed my year. I'm Spencer. Spencer Reid."

"Yeah you said. Three times now."

He looked at her expectantly.

Ugh. Fine.

"I'm Seph."

"Steph?" She'd expected that. It always happened.

"Seph. Persephone."

"Oh! As in Queen of the Underworld right. Daughter of Zeus and Demeter."

Not a question, but stated as a fact.

You nodded.

"Okay… So…. Erm, well…."

"You mentioned coffee?" Seph wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Yes! Coffee! Okay. Let's go get some coffee then." He reached down for her suitcase and Seph picked her handbag up.

"Which way Spencer Reid?"

"Erm…. Well. I only live like two blocks from here? Would it be weird for you if we went there…. There's not that many coffee shops open right now. I swear I'm not a serial killer. "

Persephone laughed at the last part. "Considering the aim of this evening was for me to wind up dead, I really wouldn't care if you were. Lead the way."

A peculiar look crossed his face as he processed her words he rolled his bottom lip between his teeth before turning and dragging the suitcase away.

"It's this way Persephone."

"Seph." She corrected him, seeing him walking away.

"I like Persephone. "

Seph hurried after him. "Well it's not your name."

"You realise you had the perfect opportunity then, to turn around and jump."

He was right, she did.

So why had she run after him instead?


	3. Chapter 3

Spencer had no idea why he'd suggested that they go back to his place, he could have found an open coffee shop if they'd have walked for long enough.

He also had no idea why he wasn't taking this girl to the nearest hospital either. She'd been about to commit suicide so she obviously needed help. Yet there was something stopping him. He didn't know this girl from Adam, but she clearly had story. One that he very much wanted to hear.

He led her away from the park and out onto the main streets pulling her little suitcase behind him. He noticed the luggage tags still on them. She'd flown in from New York.

"So did you have to get a flight connection via New York to get here?" He asked her curiously, confused as he couldn't recall a British Airline that flew to D.C via the Big Apple.

"Erm no, I live in New York actually. Have done since I was 22." She replied, digging in her pockets for a tissue and wiping away some of the mascara that had made it way down her cheeks.

"How old are you now if you don't mind me asking? "

"How old are you Spencer Reid?"

"Thirty Two." He looked back at her seeing her eyes widen slightly. She had deep green eyes now he could see them properly, the light from the streets lamps illuminating her face somewhat. It was a shame that they were rimmed with so much red and black right now, he could tell she'd be quite pretty without any make up and without the evidence of tears splashed across her face.

"You don't look it. You look younger than me." She replied, studying his face as she navigated the side walk expertly in her high heels.

Now they were in the light he could see she was impeccably dressed, her clothes were clearly tailor made for her, him not recognising the brand. He could however, see the telltale flashes of red on the soles of her shoes.

Seeing him looking at her expectantly she sighed. "I'm 29. I'll be 30 in three weeks. Well, 24 days actually. That's one of the things that triggered this whole debacle actually."

"Turning 30?" Spencer asked remembering how his team had initially forgotten his 30th, only throwing him an impromptu party at headquarters after he'd let it slip to Emily whilst on a case.

"Yes….. Me and my best friend made lists when we were fifteen of all the things we wanted to have achieved by the time we turned thirty. We kept them and I opened mine four months ago. From a list of thirteen, I've achieved two."

"You made the list when you were fifteen. Things change. How many has your friend achieved."

"Well considering she'll never see thirty, she's still managed to achieve eight out of her ten. And nine and ten would have happened within a few years time."

Spencer turned into a side street leading Persephone with him and up the stairs to his apartment building.

"Wait… Why will she never see thirty?" He realised the answer almost as soon as the question left his mouth, feeling like the most insensitive dick around. It was obvious. "I'm sorry Persephone." He murmured. "How long."

"Six month. Her and her fiancé. Car accident. Least they were together, I guess. Her Mum found the lists in Alex's' room. I hadn't realised she'd even kept them all these years." She cleared her throat, blinking back tears before closing her eyes. Shaking her head slightly she reopened them, the tears gone and a look of resolve on her face.

"Alex always went after what she wanted and she never let anyone stand in her way. I do. Because I'm scared of the consequences. I generally do what I'm told, when I'm told. I rarely fight for what I want. And that's another reason I'm in this mess."

The way she spoke gave Reid the impression that she'd had this conversation before, whether with herself or with another person. Her voice was tinged heavily with regret but he also got the sense that she knew exactly what her issues were. When some people contemplated suicide, they simply didn't know why they were sad, they just were… In fact, not knowing what was wrong was more common than knowing what was. Persephone seemed to know what her problems were, so if that was the case, why didn't she change them?

"This…. This is me." Spencer unlocked the door to his apartment, flicking the lights on as he went in.

Pleased his apartment was clean he led her in, watching her go straight to his book case her eyes flickering over the masses of books.

"You like to read I take it." Her hand trailing across one of the shelves before she moved to the wall next to it, seeing his degrees and certificates which his mother had insisted he display.

"You're thirty two… Some of these are dated years ago… Are you some kind of freaky genius Spencer Reid?"

"I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified….. " He stopped seeing the look on her face. "Yes I'm a genius." Sometimes it was just easier.

"And an FBI agent too." She got to his work based qualifications. "A profiler to be exact. So that's how you were able to read me earlier then. Interesting."

She read through the rest of the certificates quickly before spinning to turn him.

"So….. Coffee. I've kinda got things to do here."

"Coffee.. Do you want to come through to the kitchen Persephone?"

"Sure thing Spencer Reid…. Who clearly does that." She laughed at her own joke. "Sorry. I'm sure you get that all the time."

"Not since school actually." He flicked his kettle on, spooning coffee into mugs and adding sugar to his before sliding the dish over to her.

"How much sugar? Seriously? Why drink coffee if you ruin the taste of it?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you. I've always drank it this way, and everyone always comments. It's just habit more than anything now."

She ignored the sugar, waiting for him to add the water. She ignored the creamer he offered her too choosing to take it black.

"So. Here we are. Drinking coffee." She raised her mug in the air in a 'cheers' motion.

"Persephone…. " He began, but she cut him off, knowing what was coming.

"Seph. And you said you wouldn't ask why."

"Sorry…. I just. I want to understand." Looking at her now in the harsh light of his kitchen, she seemed familiar. Like he'd met her before somewhere.

"Okay… Fine. There's lots of contributing factors to my decision Spencer Reid. But the simplest way of explaining it is this. Have you ever known where you are now, and known where you want to be, but you have no idea how to get from A to B. And that not knowing builds and builds and it eats away at you until it consumes you. You know what you should be doing, but you just can't get there."

"I can understand that feeling, yes."

"I knew where I was ten years ago. And I knew what I wanted to be by the time I was thirty. And I've achieved nothing….. Yes alright, I should be happy, I have parents who love me in their own way, up until this morning I had a fiancé, who for all his flaws was a decent enough human being. And I had the bestest friend in the world up until six months ago. I was working my arse off trying to establish my dream as well. I was….. well I wasn't happy. I'm not sure I've ever felt 100 percent happy with my life. But I was coping. I was getting on with it. And I was working towards my dream that would have made me happy. I was existing in an state that I could live with. Until Alex died and every went tits up. And until I saw this stupid list and realised how much I'd actually haven't done. My dead best friend achieved pretty much everything on her list and I probably never will now. My whole life has been planned out for me by my parents, and I'm too chicken to go against their plans for me. I want more, I have my own plans and my own ideas. Except I don't know how to achieve them, I don't know how to do the things that will make me happy. And if I can't make myself happy then what's the point. Why carry on? Why put so much effort into a life that's not going to reward me because I don't know how to make it reward me. It's too hard. And I'm not cut out for it. So why bother."

To some, she may have sounded like a spoilt brat. She's not admitting to being abused, not saying she had any kind of dependency problem. She simply wanted more out of life than what she was getting, but didn't know how to get it. Plenty of people would see this as no good reason to end a life. But to her, it was all the reason she needed.

Spencer got it. He understood her. He thought he'd have cured schizophrenia by time he was 25 and he hadn't. The disappointment he'd felt, the self loathing and lack of purpose. There was definitely more going on, a deeper layer to the issues. But in the simplest terms, she was holding herself back and she knew it. But she felt crippled, unable to do anything about it for some reason.

"Persephone….."

"Spencer Reid." She interjected.

"Why do you call me by my full name?" He asked her suddenly.

"Because I must have told you four times already that it's Seph. Yet you insist on calling me Persephone. I know what you're trying to do."

"I'm not trying to do anything, it's just a pretty name."

"It's a ridiculous name. Especially when it's paired with my surname." She scoffed.

"Which is?"

Spencer watched as she reached into her purse, tossing her passport across the table to him.

He flicked it open to the photo page seeing her full name.

Persephone Bella-Morte.

"Stupid isn't it…. And quite apt really."

"Bella-Morte…. " He clicked his fingers as it came to him. "I know who you are. I thought you looked familiar."


	4. Chapter 4

"I know who you are! I thought you looked familiar."

Yep…Seph had thought he might. Not everyone would have recognised the family name, but given how smart he was and his line of work, he was bound to pay attention to business news.

Seph's family owned a large range of luxury business hotels, Lux. Her Great Grandpa and his brother had started them in the thirties, the business somehow surviving through the war. The brand had grown and expanded throughout the years and now almost every major city in Europe and the USA had a Lux hotel or two.

The Bella-Morte name was widely associated with the Lux brand, the hotel bars even having its own cocktails and dessert range featuring various puns on the name.

Persephone had a love/hate relationship with her name. The surname itself was ridiculous enough without being paired with Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. Once her friends had started to study Greek mythology at school and learnt what the literal translation of her family name was, the nicknames had started. It didn't help with the film adaptation of the Anne Rice novel "Queen of the Dammed" coming out during Seph's teenage years.

By then though, shed started to embrace the name. She'd been heavily into the grunge scene, her parents having a fit when she'd come home with a lip piercing and her auburn hair dyed black, and the nickname her friends bestowed upon her because of the name, fit her new look. Growing older, Seph had replaced the lip ring with a nipple bar and a few tattoos in places that weren't visible unless she wanted them to be, gradually returning to her natural hair colour.

"I am so pleased I came across you tonight then and stopped you. Your case would have ended up coming across to the BAU if I hadn't."

"Do the FBI routinely investigate suicides then?" She definitely didn't think so.

"You're a high profile name… Well, at least your family is. And with it happening in D.C too it would have definitely come our way." He took a sip of his drink.

"Then it will still come across your desk then. Nothings changed. I still intend on doing it."

"Really?…. Perseph…. Seph, I don't understand though. Surely, given who you are you could have anything and everything you wanted? Your family are millionaires and from I understand you'd have a job there for life."

"I can feel you judging me… And I know I lied when I said I wasn't some poor little rich girl like Rose from that film. In fact, I have more in common with her than I'd like, right down to the red hair" she pulled on a strand of her hair, wrapping it around her finger before pushing it back off your face again.

"I'm not judging you I promise, I just…. If you're going to come across my desk, help me understand."

"I can't though. That's the thing. When I say it out loud, it sounds ridiculous. Because I _should_ be happy. Alright, my best friend is dead, and my now ex fiancé was a bit of a dick head…. but I wasn't overly into him anyway so whatever. But my family do love me and I can pretty much anything I want. But that comes with conditions."

"Conditions?…. And ex fiancé? Or is that another story?" He asked cautiously.

Seph downed the last of her coffee, looking at him and holding out the empty mug. "Got anything stronger?"

"Whiskey… Somewhere."

"Well don't just sit there Spencer Reid." If she was going to keep talking then she'd need a stronger drink.

He rummaged around in a cupboard, coming up with two tumblers and a bottle of Jack.

"Technically it's bourbon…. " He poured two generous measures and handed one over. "Do you want to actually sit down?"

"Sure."

He led the way through to his living room bringing the bottle with him, taking a seat at one end of his couch. Persephone removed her coat and slid her heels off, taking a seat the other end and curling her stockinged feet up beneath her. Taking a sip, the amber nectar warming her throat instantly, she began.

"Yes conditions. And the fiancé… Ugh. He's the reason I'm in D.C. I've been…. distant from him over the last few months, given what happened with Alex and well, you know, contemplating my whole existence and all. When I think about it now, I've probably been distant from him for a lot longer than that. In fact, I'm not sure I was ever really that close to him in the first place. He's the son of one of Daddy's lawyers. So gosh, maybe the marriage of convenience thing applies too, except from his side rather than mine… Anyway. So he's here on business and I thought….well, I was bored so I thought I'd come surprise him. Maybe a good couple of fucks would have taken my mind off wanting to slit my own wrists or jumping off a bridge. So I get here this morning, go to his hotel which given his connections, was not a Lux. Obviously I know why now. I slipped the receptionist a hundred for the key to his room and find him balls deep inside of his secretary. A pretty little nineteen year old. Needless to say, me and him are over. Although, I'm surprising not that bothered. It just kinda helped my decision." Seph saw the look on his face. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to kill myself because of him. I was planning it anyway. Today just… Made me want to get it over with sooner rather than later. Made me bring my original deadline forward. "

She took another sip of her drink, holding it out for a refill. Spencer obliged, topping up his own which he was quickly draining. Poor thing, oh how she'd ruined his night.

"The conditions I referred to. Everyone in my family is expected to work at Lux. I don't want that. I want my own business. I want to start my own clothing line, my own fashion brand. But the parents have my own future planned out for me. I worked there until until I was 27 and then decided I'd had enough and that I needed to try and get this business off the ground. But I'm expected to start working back at Lux the week after my thirtieth birthday. Apparently I've had 'Enough time to arse around trying to make something out of myself.' I was so close to getting it off the ground, but then with Alex dying, I missed some important business meetings and the funding fell through."

"If you don't want to work for your family, then don't work for them. You're an adult, you can make your own decisions. They can't force you."

"It's not that simple…. Well. In theory it is. But it's a family run business. They heard me out when I said I wanted to leave two years ago. They agreed to give me until my thirtieth birthday to do it on my own, which is how I wanted to do it. I could have taken their money, and to an extent I did use some of my trust fund to help make a portfolio and designs and stuff but I won't use their money or name to launch the brand. It was agreed that if I couldn't do this by the time I was thirty then I go and take up my rightful place back at Lux. If I don't, I get cut off completely. No trust fund, no nothing. And I don't have any money of my own, I was meant to make some but that didn't happen."

"So still…. Talk to them again." His brow furrowed.

"I have. After Alex died, I asked for an extension. And they were sympathetic, but refused. I've had long enough….. Look I sound bratty I know, and I'm a walking contradiction. I don't want their business, but I can't function without my trust fund. I don't want to work for them, but I've failed at being able to work for myself. Lux doesn't interest me at all. But I made an agreement with them. And it would would be letting the family name down to back out of said agreement and blah blah blah family honour and such. Have you seen Beauty and the Beast, the Disney film?"

Her sudden change in track surprised him, but he nodded.

"I've watched it with my godson a few times, yes." He nodded and Seph explained her question.

"The first song…. There's a part goes:

 _I want adventure in the great wide somewhere,  
I want it more than I can tell.  
But for once it might be grand, to have someone understand.  
I want so much more than they've got planned._

You know it?"

"Yes, I remember it." He pushed his hair back behind his ear, thinking. "So you feel trapped by your obligations to your family, downhearted because of your own perceived failure, and disillusioned by life because you haven't achieved the things you wanted to. Add your best friend dying to that and… whilst I don't agree suicide is the way out, I can maybe understand how you might feel that it is."

He could?

He could.

Oh.

Huh.

"Pers… Seph…. You mentioned an original deadline. What was it?"

"Erm… I was planning on doing it on my birthday. I figured… Why not."

"Okay. Will you consider reverting to your original date?" He asked quietly, his eyes intensely studying her.

"Whhhhyyy?" Seph dragged the word out, suspicious.

"I want to see this list. Your birthdays twenty four days away right? Seph, suicide is never the answer, although I know it sometimes feels that way. You want more from life. Then let's go and get more. Please. If I can help you tick off some of the items on that list, and maybe together we can come up with a way to get your business plan back up and running, will you reconsider it?" He seemed so earnest.

"You want to try and fix me?"

"No… Because you're not broken. You're not even a lost soul that needs to be found. You know what you want, you just can't work out how to get it. So let me try to help." He reached out across the couch, hesitating before taking her hand. Normally Seph would recoil if a stranger touched her like that when it wasn't in a professional environment…. But she was in his apartment, on his couch. When she'd originally intending on taking up the throne next to Hades by now.

"Why do you want to help me?" She asked. He considered her question carefully before answering.

"Because maybe I need some purpose in my life too. I try not to believe in fate. It doesn't fit in with my logic. But….. A lot of people would say that we met tonight for a reason. I don't normally walk that way home, you're not normally in D.C. I've had a pretty shitty year myself. Maybe this will help me too."

"And if you don't succeed and I still do it? Because I will."

"Then at least I gave it my best shot."

Seph considered his offer…. What was another twenty four days really?

Although he'd laugh when he saw how pathetic the list was. But…. Well, he _was_ a genius. Maybe he could think of another way out of this for her. And if not… she could just stick with the plan. Another twenty four days.

Okay. Seph could stick it out for that long.

"Okay. Fix my life Spencer Reid."


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay. Fix my life Spencer Reid." Persephone…. Seph, he really needed to get used to calling her that, downed her drink and held out her glass for another refill. Spencer obliged, not filling it quite as much this time.

Fix the life a complete stranger. Could he really do that? Was he really going to try? Well he'd offered now so he couldn't really not try. But how was he going to do this, and how would he feel if he failed and she did it anyway. Hell with the year he'd had, he'd probably join her on the bridge and suggest they jump together.

First things first though.

"Have you got this list then?" He asked her, needing to see what he was dealing with.

She nodded, her long hair falling forward as she leant to retrieve her bag from the floor. Looking at her now, he couldn't believe he hadn't recognised her sooner. She wasn't in the press as much as a certain other hotel heiress but she'd definitely made a fair few appearances in the tabloids, photographed at various charity events and galas. Perhaps it was that her trademark dark eyeliner and plum lipstick had been rubbed off due to her crying that had prevented him from making the connection, although Spencer definitely thought she looked better sans the heavy make up she was rarely pictured without.

Seph pulled her bag onto her lap and rummaged through it pulling out two cellphones, one of which Reid could see was lit up with notifications of missed calls and messages. She retrieved a large leather purse, the material decorated with tiny skulls and stitched little potion bottles. Unzipping it, she searched through the compartments before pulling out a carefully folded piece of notebook paper which she then handed to him.

"Don't judge me…. Well any more than you already are. I wrote this when I was fifteen. Some of them may seem juvenile, or just plain silly. And they'll all probably seem easily achievable, which is what makes me not having completed them, more frustrating."

Persephone grimaced as she watched him unfold the paper, his eyes quickly skimming the list.

*Bungee jump/sky dive  
*Make out with a total stranger  
*Perform at a bar. Karaoke/Open Mic night  
*Give someone a sexy strip tease  
*Learn to play chess  
*Hike the Inca Trail  
*Kiss another woman  
*Learn another language  
*Watch both the sunset set and then rise from the same deserted spot, having spent all night awake with someone special.  
*Start my own business and make it a success.  
*Spend 24 hours in bed with someone, completely devouring each other until we can't move  
*Change someone else's life, for the better.

Written in a different handwriting at the bottom of the list was another.

*Be happy, because you deserve it.

Okay, so she wasn't lying when she'd said that some of these were easily achievable. In fact depending on her confidence levels, most of them were very easily doable. And he couldn't see how her doing any of these apart from the business, would change her life enough to make it feel worth living. But it obviously wasn't the actual things themselves, but the idea that she'd made this list and hadn't achieved it.

"Was Alex's the same?" Spencer asked, looking at her.

She bit her lip and shook her head. "No. We only had one item which was the same. Hers were all way harder, like hiking to Everest Base Camp and running the Boston Marathon. And she completed everything on her list apart from marrying the love of her life and cruising the world, both of which she had booked in to do."

"Wait….. Alex. Alexandra Novak right?"

Seeing Seph nod, Spencer recalled the article he'd read about the daughter of a British property mogul and the accident that had taken hers and her fiancés life six months ago. The accident had been horrific, a car crash that had had the pair trapped for hours before they were found barely breathing. Alex had died when the fire crew and paramedics had been trying to remove her from the vehicle, a rogue piece a debris puncturing her lung. Her fiancé Luke, had been in a coma on life support for seven weeks after, before his family had come to the decision to turn it off. Oh god….. The details had been all over the news, so there was no doubt that Persephone knew the excruciating pain her friend must have felt whilst waiting for be rescued.

He decided against commenting on the accident, there was no comforting words he could offer her now.

"You mentioned you'd achieved two of these already? Which two?"

"Seven and eight. Seven was the one thing on both of our lists… " The eye contact she made as she said that, told Spencer everything else he needed to know about that point.

"What languages can you speak? I've picked up a few over my time."

"Italian…. Obviously. Although despite the name we're as British as they come, very "more tea vicar". And I can speak a fair bit of Russian. One of the girls I went to boarding school with was Russian and it interested me. "

"Да неужели" Spencer offered.

"Да, действительно. Не удивляйся так." Seph countered, her accent better than his. She smiled slightly, seeing his face. She should do that more often Spencer thought.

"Okay…..I need to think about these but we can achieve some of these fairly easily and without too much effort."

"Really? So are you going to do a sexy strip tease with me Spencer Reid?" She asked the corners of her mouth twitching upward still. She had a very pretty smile, one that Spencer knew could stop people dead when it reached her eyes. He'd seen enough pictures of it before in print.

"If that's what it takes to keep you on the safe side of the bridge then yes."

She laughed, totally indifferent to the mention of her planned suicide. Reid found people often were once they'd made the decision to end their lives.

Checking her watch she announced.

"Okay.. Well, best call a cab and get them to take me to the D.C Lux. It's late."

"NO!" Spencer blurted out, looking around sheepishly when he realised how loud he'd been.

"No?"

"Sorry…. It's just. Well, I don't really think you should be going off alone right now."

"I'm not going to off myself tonight now. I've said I'll give you until my birthday. You have my word. And considering what I've explained to you, that should mean a lot."

"It does…. But. I still don't feel comfortable with it. Look, you can have my bed tonight and I'll take the couch. We can work something out tomorrow."

"So are you planning on watching me like a hawk for the next 24 days then… Cos I'll bore you very quickly. I'm not terribly interesting and I'm relatively weird."

"I like weird." He nodded at her, somehow doubting she would bore him at all. He wasn't planning on letting her out of his sight if he could help it, except to sleep and to go to the bathroom. Although, he'd need to move some things out of his bathroom. Just to be on the safe side.

She sighed. "Fine…..I'll stay. But I'll take the couch."

"Nope sorry. My mother raised me to be a gentlemen. And you're in luck, I changed the bed sheets this morning." Suddenly thankful that he had.

"That's a shame. I was going to inspect them for strange stains….. Sorry, you'll come to realise I have a strange sense of humour." She gave another laugh and stood.

"So, Spencer Reid who definitely does read. Show me to your bedroom."


	6. Chapter 6

Seph had slept strangely soundly for the first time in what seemed like months. Maybe there was something to be said for "talking about your problems." She'd just never really felt comfortable discussing the dark thoughts that clouded her mind sometimes.

This wasn't the first time in her life she'd had these thoughts. Despite growing up and having everything she'd asked for pretty much presented to her on a silver platter, Seph had struggled a lot when she was a teenager. She'd had friends and had been relatively popular at the boarding school she'd been enrolled in. But it always felt like everyone had a preconceived idea of who she was and what she'd be like.

Persephone felt like she struggled to show people the real her because she didn't know who the real her was. When she was alone she'd sit and think, contemplating if she'd ever know what she wanted from life or who she was. One of the reasons Seph had loved the Alice stories so much is because she'd always felt strangely connected to her, wandering through life quite lost and never knowing which direction she wanted to go in. Just that she wanted to go somewhere.

From a young age she'd been told she'd be joining the family business. It was only when Seph was thirteen that she'd realised she didn't want that, but she just didn't know what she wanted to do instead. Persephone was fairly certain she wanted to do something to do with art, she had a talent for drawing and designing. In fact when Lux had re branded a few years ago, it had been her design used on the logo, one of the few times she'd ever shown an interest in the business.

Seph had struggled to confide in people as well, Alex being the only truly close friend she'd had. It was her who she'd tell all her secrets to, her who Seph would spent hours laughing with and it was Alex who'd found Seph dragging a razor blade across her thigh when she was fifteen. It was that night they'd made the lists together, Alex telling Seph that she needed to have something to aim for, something to work towards. She'd spent all night talking with Seph, crying when she realised what her friend had been doing to herself for months and asking her why.

Persephone couldn't answer her. Because she didn't know explicitly why she'd started. Just that it helped in some small way. Seeing the little red beads of fluid escaping her skin somehow felt like she was releasing some of the pent up frustrations she felt but couldn't verbalise. Frustrations that made no sense to anyone else, not even herself sometimes.

"I just want to know who I actually am and not who I'm meant to be. I want to achieve things for me, not for my family or other people." Seph had told Alex.

"So let's do it. Tell me what you want to do, anything. Big or small. We'll put it on a list. And we'll make a pact to do them all." She'd said, pulling out her note book. And so the lists had been born. And Persephone had put the razor blades away and tried to banish the thoughts she'd been having.

When she'd left school and started university, the list had been pushed to the back of her mind. She gained degrees in Art and Design, and finally sat down and told her parents that she didn't want to be part of Lux. They were disappointed, the whole family worked there and for their own daughter to tell them that they didn't want their business was hurtful. Seph felt guilt tripped and like she was letting them down. So she'd relented, going to work in the head office in New York, drawing and designing in her spare time. She'd started designing dresses, putting them together in the evenings and working during the day. Dresses turned into purses and bags, her taking courses in leather work and tailoring to enhance her skills when she was able to.

When Seph had started wearing her designs to work and out with friends, people started to compliment them and had asked her to design them things. It was only during another conversation with Alex where she convinced Seph to pursue this full time. So nearly three years ago on her 27th birthday, she had. She'd sat down with her parents again, telling them that she wanted out of Lux and why. Seph wanted to set up her own clothing brand; The Damned Dead Queen. The grunge style from her teenage years had stayed with Persephone and the designs were aimed at that scene. After a lot of deliberation and discussion,they'd agreed.

Setting out conditions, they agreed to release Seph from the family obligation temporarily. They'd fund her lifestyle until she was thirty, allowing her the time to set up a portfolio, gain clients and make a name and brand for herself. If she hadn't established the business successfully by the time she was thirty then she'd come back to Lux, or they'd cut her off completely. It might sound harsh to some, but it was their way. They wanted Seph to follow tradition but also didn't wish to stifle her ambition anymore as they could see you wanted it. So you'd made the agreement with them, thankful to them for listening and understanding. Except it became clear over the two years that passed that they didn't really understand, and expected her to fail.

Seph had worked hard, had business meetings with fashion houses, her designs were being recognised on the Internet blog page she'd set up and she'd had interest. She'd even assembled a team of seamstresses ready to go to work as soon as they were needed. But then Alex had died. And Persephone had struggled to get out of bed for three months, shunning almost everyone in her life including her fiancé Edward.

By the time she'd managed to pull herself out of her funk, the interest had dried up. The companies she'd had meetings booked in with but hadn't turned up to, now not willing to take her calls.

Not wanting to use the family name when she'd registered TDDQ as a company and trademarked it, Seph had used her first and middle name, Persephone Dawn. Perhaps in hindsight she should have used her family name, the companies would have taken the calls then, she'd bet. But she'd wanted to do this herself. And she'd failed drastically. Failing at life seeming Seph's speciality. Exactly what her parents had expected of her.

Tonight though…. Had been interesting. And unexpected. When Seph had come to the decision four weeks ago about what she was going to do about her predicament, she hadn't expected to actually end up talking to anyone about it. The only person she would have told, was no longer around and if she was to believe in the afterlife, Seph would be reunited with her soon enough anyway. She certainly hadn't expected anyone to be able to talk her out of it. And…. Well she guessed Spencer hadn't really talked her out of it as such, her original deadline had been her birthday and it had only been shitty circumstances that had made her bring it forward to today.

But… In a way, talking about it out loud made it seem real. And all of a sudden dying seemed that bit more daunting. No less inviting, the complications of life vanishing completely. Just daunting.

Spencer Reid had been an unwelcome complication initially, interrupting Seph's plans and refusing to leave her alone. But she'd be lying to herself if she said she weren't as intrigued by him as he obviously was with her.

He was clearly a very intelligent man although most people coming across a suicidal woman would have called for help and for some reason, he hadn't. Although his job must have given him some experience in what to do, he still should have called for assistance or taken Seph to the nearest psych ward. And he hadn't, the reasons for why, she didn't know.

As she lay in his bed, the early morning sunlight streaming through his curtains she wondered why he hadn't. As a trained FBI agent Persephone knew it wasn't in his interest to take random strangers home. Was it because he knew who she was, had that influenced it? He'd said he'd needed a purpose in life. Which was curious. He was thirty two, had a good job and was a genius, as well as being an extremely attractive man, something Seph had only noticed when they'd got back to his apartment. Yet… he had no photos of family around his apartment and no mention of a significant other, past or present. He'd told Seph that she would have killed his year if she'd have jumped and that he needed purpose in his life too. Which, as an FBI agent, surely he had? He caught serial killers and saved lives for a living. Maybe he was looking for something more from life too. There was definitely a story there, which considering he now knew the majority of Seph's, she hoped to find out. Tit for tat right?

He'd slept on the couch last night after showing her to his room and clattering about in his bathroom before leaving with a bag, pajamas and blankets. When Seph had entered his bathroom to clean up, she could see straight away what he'd been doing. No razor blades to be seen anywhere. And Spencer was clean shaven.

When she'd peeked inside his medicine cabinet, she couldn't see any painkillers or any pills either, although weirdly there didn't actually seem to be any empty spaces for them to have been. He'd definitely removed his razors though, which made her chuckle. No, if she was going to do it, it wouldn't be that way. Bleeding out took too long. And she certainly wouldn't do it in someone else's home.

Seph had got the distinct feeling that he had no plan on leaving her alone until her birthday now, and she didn't intend on taking up his bed for the next three weeks. She didn't object to him keeping an eye on her for some reason. He seemed to genuinely care and had taken an interest, something she hadn't felt for a while. Seph would give him a shot to do the things he'd said he'd try to. If he succeeded, then maybe there was hope for this life yet, she doubted it though. If not, well she could go through with her original plan and have spent her last week's in the company of someone who cared.

But if Persephone spent three weeks with this man and he failed, could she really do that to him? That was a question she'd have to come back to. It seemed callous to allow someone to put energy into trying to save another person just to then do it anyway. But then again, Seph hadn't asked him for help. It wasn't her fault he'd found her and stuck his nose in.

She could hear movement coming from the kitchen, and decided to get up and see what today would bring. A new dawn, a new day and all that. And maybe she would end up feeling good.

Stranger things have happened.

But first to deal with the slew of messages on her phone. Ugh.


	7. Chapter 7

Spencer had lain on the couch for a good hour or so before he'd finally drifted off to sleep. He couldn't work out why he felt compelled to help this woman who he barely knew but he did. He Should have called for assistance, he Should have taken her to a hospital for professional help, but something told him that she wasn't mentally unstable and he could help her himself.

What he was doing went against every bit of his FBI training and if he'd reacted this way when he was out in the field then he would be seriously reprimanded for becoming emotionally involved. Yet, he didn't care. This had happened on his own time, off duty. If he forced himself to look at the situation from an outsiders view he knew he was doing this for his own selfish reasons. He needed purpose. If he could change her mind and stop Seph from taking her own life then it would make him feel better about his own . It would validate him somehow, make him think that he was making a difference in the world. And he needed that. Especially after the year he'd had.

A distraction would be good. And Persephone intrigued him, there was something about her, her situation, that made him want to help. Plus, anyone who could quote Alice at the drop of the hat was worth getting to know. Anyone into literature was worth getting to know in Spencer's opinion. As he drifted off to sleep he wondered what else he'd find out about her.

…

It took Spencer a few seconds to work out why he was on the couch, and why he could hear a female voice coming from his bedroom. Once the events of the previous evening… well a few hours ago really, came back to him he started to wonder what his plan would be.

First things first, he needed to talk to Hotch. Spencer rarely took vacation time anyway and often had HR on his back each year badgering him to take his accrued leave. He often did what Rossi did most years, giving away his time off to other agents with family. They needed it more than him and he only ever needed a few days to go and see his Mom each year.

He'd taken more time off this year with what had happened with Maeve but that had gone through as compassionate leave, not affecting his holiday allowance. And if he couldn't get the time off at short notice, he'd take it unpaid. He had savings, his salary being topped up by a few casino wins here and there before he eventually got banned. His outgoings were so few compared to his incoming, his main outgoing being the cost of his Mom's care facility. But that was worth it. No, he could afford time off. Hotch would understand, although he may need to adjust his story somewhat. He could imagine the disapproving look on his supervisors face. "Hey Aaron, I need three weeks off to save a hotel heiress that I found threatening to jump off a bridge last night. And by the way…. I took her home with me last night and made her sleep in my bed." Yeah, that wouldn't go down well at all.

He picked his phone up, checking the time and scrolling through his emails. Garcia had finally convinced him to get an email account, telling him that he absolutely needed it and that he was missing out. He spotted one from an old friend, one he'd replied to a while ago but hadn't yet deleted.

Hmmmm.

An idea came to mind that could just work but first he'd need more details from Seph.

Seph…

Bringing up Wikipedia, he searched her name, scanning through the facts that he knew and some that he didn't. Persephone Dawn Bella-Morte, age 29. Born and raised in London, England. He knew that. He didn't know that her degrees came from Oxford and that she more than one. Art and Design, and Business Development, her coming almost top of her graduating class in both.

Her surname came from her great grandparents who moved from Italy to London in the early 1900s. Her family had remained in London until around fifteen years ago, when they'd transferred the head office of Lux to New York, having opened a string of new Luxes' over here. She'd joined them in the States after graduating from university taking over the role of Brand Manager from her much older Aunt who had held the position for thirty years. So her parents had listened in some way at least, giving her a job in the design field.

He went on to read about the changes she'd implemented herself, remembering the rebrand that Lux had undergone four years ago and realising that Seph had been responsible for the redesign, the new, contemporary logo being designed by her personally. Profits had increased almost immediately after the rebrand, the company now appealing to younger clientele as well as the older, loyal customers. She'd done a fair amount for the company in the small time she'd been there, it was no wonder her parents wanted her back.

Lifting himself off the couch and folding the blankets, he dragged his pajama pants back on and wandered into his kitchen, flicking the coffee machine on and searching for some bread to make toast with.

"Good morning Spender Reid."

He jumped, the voice behind him startling him. He heard a giggle as he turned to his guest, seeing her stood in an oversized "The Used" t-shirt and nothing else. He couldn't help but glance at her bare legs, the material of her t-shirt only just skimming the tops of her thighs.

"Do you wanna like… take a picture? It'll last longer."

Shit… She'd seen. His faced flushed and he met her eyes, seeing an amused expression on her face. Not one of annoyance though. Her face was now completely free of all make up, her green eyes standing out against her auburn hair which was tied up messily.

"Spencer Reid, your bed is the comfiest bed ever. I slept so well and really did not want to get out of it. But… I have. And now I need a shower."

"Shower…. " For a man so intelligent, he definitely sometimes struggled around attractive women. And having one stood almost naked in his kitchen seemed to have lowered his IQ significantly.

"Yes shower….I know you have one. I've seen it. But I didn't want to just assume I could us it. Plus, I need towels. And a hair dryer if you have one."

Shaking his head slightly his brain now comprehending what she was saying. "Yes yes, shower. That's fine. Towels are in the cupboard to the left of the bathroom. And the hair-dryer is in the drawer to the right of my bed."

"Thanks! Be back in twenty." She bounded off to his bathroom, stopping by the cupboard on her way. Peering after her, he saw the bottom of her shirt lift up slightly as she reached into the cupboard.

She was wearing panties, thank fuck for that.

"I told you, take a picture, it'll last longer…. " She called out, obviously feeling his eyes on her. She grinned at him before slipping into his bathroom, the shower starting seconds later.

She seemed much more happy today, a total 180 from the women he'd come across last night. Was it the fact she'd talked about her issues that had caused the complete flip in personality? It wasn't enough of a flip for him to wonder about her being manic depressive. He'd seen traits of the chirpiness and humour last night when they'd been talking. Whatever it was, he was pleased.

He set about making two coffees, remembering how she took hers and making himself some toast to go with it. Settling down, he busied himself with eating, not looking up when heard his bathroom door open and close, followed quickly by his bedroom door. A few minutes later, the sound of a hair dryer through the walls.

She emerged fifteen minutes later, dragging her suitcase. She was dressed in dark blue skinny jeans, an oversized tank top layered on top of another top, and a checked shirt, the buttons undone and sleeves rolled up. Her hair was pulled to the side, a loose braid over one shoulder and she wore a pair of black rimmed glasses. She looked totally different and around ten years younger than what she had last night. She caught him looking at her again.

"What?" She asked, eyeing the cup of coffee he'd put out for her and taking it gratefully.

"You look different is all."

"Meh, I look like this most of the time to be honest. I'm comfy." She laughed, sitting down on his couch and crossing her legs beneath her before pulling out her two phones.

"Everything okay?" Spencer asked seeing her wrinkle up her nose at whatever was on her screen.

"Yep… Just. I had to make some calls this morning. Edward had left about six hundred messages as had my parents. I've filled them in on the Edward situation and told them I'll be in D.C for a while, hanging out with a friend. And then I finally called him back and told him to remove his things from my apartment before I get back there. Of course he tried to weasel his way out, blaming me and my lack of interest in him recently. Whatever. Don't care. Just want him to move his shit out of my home." she took a long swig of her coffee.

"How are you feeling about 'things' today?" He winced at how loaded the question sounded, seeing her raise her eyes at it.

"If by 'things' you mean the wanting to throw myself of a bridge? Meh…. I'm not thinking about it currently. You said you wanted to fix my life. Sooo fix it. For the next twenty three days, my life is totally in your hands." She saw the daunted look on his face.

"Scary isn't it. Thinking how the next twenty three days will decide if I live or die. Sure you still want to take this on? I can walk away today Spencer Re… Spencer. You don't have any obligation to me. I'll even do it in another State and leave a clear note saying it was intentional."

She was giving him an out. The opportunity to back out of the offer he'd made to try to change her life. To make her life worth living in some way. No. He couldn't. Because if he opened a newspaper and saw her suicide a headline, he'd never forgive himself for not trying. He had to do this, and he wanted to do this. There was something about her that screamed at him, telling him she was meant to be alive.

"I don't back out of things Seph. If I say I'll do something, I do it. I want to change your mind about this. Life can be beautiful. But sometimes, we forget. Sometimes I forget too."

"Then okay. I'll give you your chance, and I'll give it my best shot to embrace whatever it is you've got planned. But I'm not staying in your apartment for three weeks."

Yes, that could be an issue. He'd already thought of that this morning when he'd woken up. His couch wasn't overly comfortable but he couldn't expect her to sleep on the couch either.

"I kinda get the feeling you're not going to let me go off myself and get a hotel right?"

He shook his head at her.

"Figured as much…. So, fancy moving out of here for three weeks? I checked this morning and we can rent an apartment in the centre of D.C, relatively close to where you work actually. The sort they rent out for businesses and stuff. I'll pay, well my parents will pay, seeing as I've got you into this mess. And you'll be closer to work too."

"That doesn't matter, I won't be going in. In fact, I need to go in and speak to my boss at some point today."

Persephone's eyes widened slightly and then quickly returned to their normal size. "Is that a yes then?"

Spencer nodded again. Being on completely neutral ground may actually prove more beneficial for the both of them.

"Okay. So you go shower, and pack some stuff. And I will make some phone calls and get our new digs sorted out."

Reid stood, picking up his plate and empty coffee mug, returning them to the kitchen before making his way to his bathroom.

A voice stopped him. "Spencer Reid?"

"Hmmmm?" He didn't turn, sensing somehow that she didn't want him to look at her.

"Thanks. For….. caring. Maybe if I'd met someone like you months ago, I wouldn't have ended up there in the first place."

He heard the catch in her voice, before I took a deep breath and collected herself.

"Right, phone calls. Luxury accommodation coming up!" Sunshine back in her voice.

Spencer carried on towards his bathroom…


	8. Chapter 8

"Wow. This is where we're staying?" Spencer let out a low breath as he looked around the airy loft apartment Seph had taken him to.

She'd called her parents personal secretary Andrea this morning, asking her to find suitable accommodation in the city for two people for three weeks. She'd called back thirty minutes later with an address. Spencer had packed some belongings, and they'd made their way into the city. Andrea had excelled herself, the apartment was huge and on the top floor of an old converted warehouse by the looks of it. It had its own private balcony and when Seph saw the hot tub, she wanted to fly back to New York and kiss her. It had two large bedrooms next to each other, both with their own en-suites. Seph's parents must have been feeling sorry for her after hearing about Edward, to allow Andrea the spend this much money on temporary accommodation. It had be costing a bomb, not that it would make any real dent in their wealth.

Before they'd set off, Spencer had asked if he could look at some of Seph's designs. She'd showed him the few pieces of clothing and accessories that she'd made that she had with her along with the mini portfolio that she carried everywhere.

"Do you have this in an electronic copy?" He'd asked, carefully viewing the items Persephone had worked so hard on. She nodded and he'd asked her to email him a copy which she had, curious to what he was planning.

"So erm…. Choose a bedroom and get unpacked I guess. Andreas having a delivery of groceries sent over for 6pm so we need to be back here for then, but then we can go out and you can start to show me what a wonderful world we live in." The last part came out more sarcastically than she'd intended.

"I'll take the one to the left. And I need to pop into headquarters, but it's within walking distance. Your secretary did good. Does she know where I work?" Spencer asked, his brow furrowed obviously wondering how much she'd told them.

"Nope, I just asked her to look for somewhere in the centre of the city. And erm… Do I have to come with you?"

"Yes….. I'm still not sure I trust you being your by yourself."

"You need to learn trust me Spencer Reid. I have no plans on offing myself for another 23 days at least. Promise, scouts honour." Seph made the scouts signal with her hand, seeing the corners of his lips twitch up.

"Buuuut… I am kinda curious as to where you work. Can I watch you cuff someone and interrogate them…. Which reminds me, why do you have cuffs in your bedside cabinet? Are you really that kinky, cos you definitely don't come across like that." Seph watched his jaw drop and his cheeks turn bright red.

"W-w-w-what… W-w-w-why… Erm… Um… Ugh.. " He was kinda cute when he stuttered.

"I opened the wrong drawer when I was looking for the hair dryer….."

"I…I… I'm g-gonna go unpack." He spun on his heel dragging his suitcase behind him.

"Spencer…. I didn't actually look in the wrong drawer. Got the right drawer on the first try. I'm messing with you."

"Fuck." She heard him mutter under his breath. Seph laughed.

"Kinda wish I had opened the other drawer though now. Wonder what else was in there?"

She saw him shake his head slightly before continuing into the bedroom, her following suit and heading into the other.

Throwing things into drawers and wardrobes, Seph unpacked quickly and wandered into the bedroom next door when she was finished.

Spencer jumped again when he turned from hanging up with clothes, seeing her standing there.

"Do you ever actually announce your presence in a room, or do you just like to give people mini heart attacks." He asked.

"Sorry…..I'll try to make more noise next time. Are you about done? I'm bored."

"Two minutes and I'll be done." He went back to putting his belongings away and she walked over to his bed and flinging herself down on it.

"Where are you from Spencer Reid?"

"Are you going to stop calling me that?" He asked, pulling another cardigan onto a hanger.

"Maybe…..What do you prefer. Spencer? Reid? I know FBI agents and cops sometimes use their last names. Spence?" She kinda liked using his whole name though. It rolled nicely off her tongue. Although he had stopped calling her Persephone. Most of the time at least.

"Anything…. Spencer or Spence is fine. "Reid" just reminds me of being at work. Just stop using my full name please. And to answer your question, I'm from Vegas."

"Vegas Baby, Vegas? You're a genius right, can you count cards?"

"Why does everyone assume that because I'm from Las Vegas and I'm a genius, that I can count cards." He folded a pair of jeans, sliding them into a drawer.

"Can you?" Seph rolled over onto her back, her head dangling off the edge of the bed slightly.

"Yes."

"Can you teach me?"

"Why would you want to be able to count cards? Your family's loaded. Plus, it's not on your list, so no."

"What if I add it to my list? And while I'm at it, I might add experimenting with the handcuffs I'm now sure you have in your bedside cabinet."

He dropped the shirt he was holding onto the floor, hurriedly bending down and retrieving it.

"You don't like it when I flirt with you do you? And…. That's their money. Teach me to count cards and win at black jack and I'll have my own money."

"It's not that I don't like it….. I'm just not sure how to take your 'flirting'. Women don't flirt with me. As for the blackjack thing, I'm banned from a lot of casinos." His suitcase was nearly empty now.

"If you have handcuffs in your bedside cabinet, then I'm quite certain that woman do flirt with you. And take my flirting, any way you want to Spence."

Seph tried out the shorter version of his name seeing how it sound on her lips. It amused her, seeing him mildly uncomfortable by her suggestive remarks. Persephone was naturally a very flirty person, most of the time not meaning anything by it. She was sure he must find the change in her manner odd though. Going from suicidal damsel in distress last night to out rightly flirting with him.

"I'm sure we can find some you're not banned from. Teach me. Teach me how to play poker too."

"You don't know how to play poker?"

"Nope." Seph popped the p seeing that he was done unpacking and holding her arms ups. "Pull me up please."

He sighed and leant over the bed, grabbing her hands and tugging her to her feet.

Hmm. His grip was strong yet gentle at the same time and as Seph stood, she wobbled slightly, grabbing his upper arm to steady herself. Spencer looked wiry and lanky but she could definitely feel tone and muscle. She'd bet he had nice arms under the dark green cardigan he was wearing.

"I'll teach you to play poker and count cards in two months time okay?"

"Nice try Spence…. But I'll hold you to that, if I'm still here."

"And I'll do it. I promise, if you're still here."

He looked down at Seph, his hazel eyes searing into hers. He had pretty eyes, expressive ones. In fact his entire face was expressive, although if he was banned from casinos he must have one hell of a poker face.

"Ready to go? You can't quite watch me cuff someone, but I'll show you around the office. If I remember rightly, only a few of the team will be in today anyway." He said, his hands still holding Seph's arms.

"How do you know they're not out on a case? That's what the BAU does right? Goes out into the field to catch killers and stuff. I did my own Googling this morning."

"I messaged my supervisor early. He's in, they haven't got a case today. And yes, we spend a lot of time out in the field. But there's also an alarming amount of paperwork that has to be done on a weekly basis. And we do other stuff like lecture at schools, mentor new recruits, review cold cases."

"Sounds interesting."

"It is. Now let's go."

Quickly grabbing her bag from the living area, Seph followed Spencer out of the building and onto the streets. Hopefully, his colleagues wouldn't ask too much about what he was doing with her.

Because she was fairly certain that he'd be in serious trouble if the truth came out.


	9. Chapter 9

The walk to the BAU headquarters took twenty minutes, both Seph and Spencer wrapping up warm against the cool November air. Despite the bright sunshine, it was freezing out and the unlikely pair walked quickly through the streets, Reid leading the way.

They stopped off at a local coffee house for a quick bite to eat and a coffee, Seph asking questions along the way.

Spencer found himself telling her more about his life than he ever normally told someone he'd only just met. She listened intently to him and Spencer could see her processing the information he was giving her. He knew he was rambling as he told her about his teenage years and his mother's condition, surprised that these details were all coming out.

"Does it worry you? Knowing that it's hereditary?" She asked him quietly.

"Sometimes yes. About two years ago, I started to get really terrible migraines and the doctors couldn't find anything wrong. I kept think….. is this the start of it? Am I gonna end up like my Mom, completely lucid one minute and then a totally different person the next."

"Did they find out what was causing them in the end?"

"Nope. Which made me worry even more. So I made contact with a geneticist to see if she could figure it out."

"I'm guessing she couldn't?"

"No but after talking to her, the headaches stopped. I haven't had them as bad as that since. I mean, I still get headaches occasionally but they're just the normal ones that everyone would get."

Spencer could see headquarters approaching in this distance, and quickened his pace wanting to get in from the cold. He felt a tug on his arm.

"Slow down… You're like almost a foot taller than me, one of your steps equals two of mine."

He slowed his pace again, muttering a sorry under his breath.

"S'okay. I'm cold too. So do you still speak to her if you don't have the headaches anymore?"

"No. I can't. She…. she's dead." The BAU almost in sight and then he could stop this conversation before it when any further.

"Oh. Erm…..I'm no profiler but….um. I sense a story. But one that you don't want to tell. So, I won't push. If she was helping you though, then I'm sorry she's no longer here."

"Thank you. We're here anyway."

Spencer led her through the doors, flashing his ID badge at security and quickly filling out a visitors form her Seph.

"What name do I put down for you? Are you okay with people knowing who you are and that you were here?" He asked her, suddenly thinking how weird it would look if she did go ahead with her original plan and they somehow checked the visitor records and saw she was here as his guest. Shit. Maybe he should have left her at the apartment. Still…. They were here.

"Just put Seph Dawn, it's the name I use if I'm attempting to be incognito. It's not like I, personally am well known. It's that stupid surname. Why couldn't I have something normal and boring like Reid?"

He handed her the visitors pass, raising his eyebrows at her comment.

"Not that I think your name is boring…aw crap. Spencer definitely isn't a boring name, it's a really nice name.. And Reid isn't boring either, it's just, not…. Well it's not the sort of name that makes people laugh like mine does…. I'm rambling, I'll shut up."

Spencer chuckled. "It's nice to meet another rambler. People get annoyed with me all the time, especially my work colleagues. I can't help it though. When I'm nervous I just talk and then I lose track of what I was originally talking about. I can actually see people shutting down and switching off, but I can't stop."

He led her into the elevators, selecting the floor he needed.

"I could quite happily listen to you ramble Spencer Reid. I like listening to interesting people talk." Seph unzipped her coat, the heat from the building now beginning to seep through her layers and warming her.

"You think I'm interesting?"

"Don't you?" Seeing the surprised look on his face she continued.

"Not many people, FBI Agent or not, would do what you did last night Spencer. Not many people who offer to do what you're attempting to do either. So yes, I find it interesting and curious as to why you have, and I'm very interested in learning more about you. Plus….. You have a nice voice."

"Most people find it annoying." He could feel himself blushing slightly, not used to compliments.

"I'm not most people."

No, she definitely wasn't. And it wasn't because of her name that he thought that either. Reid was somehow drawn to her, he felt connected to her. Whilst, not on the same level as her, Spencer had had thoughts before. Wonderings of what it would be like if he wasn't here. But he didn't dwell of them for too long. Unlike Seph who had dwelled on them long enough to want to make it a reality.

"What's our story anyway?" The elevator came to and halt and the doors slid open.

"Story?" Reid asked.

"Well won't your colleagues wonder how we met. Something tells me you don't routinely bring random girls into work with you."

Good point. And one he should have thought of long before now.

"Hey Genius! I though Hotch was making you take time off? What are you doing in?" The chirpy voice and the BAU's technical analyst Penelope Garcia filled his ear, and he turned to see her standing next to him, a box of files in her arms.

"I am. That's why I'm here. I need to talk to him. Is he in his office?" he was very conscious of Garcia's eyes drifting over to Seph, a curious look on her face.

"Of course. Rossi's in there with him though." She was now openly staring at his companion.

"Alex, Morgan and JJ are out today aren't they?" He asked her, praying that there guest spot at the local college hadn't been cancelled. He could just about handle Penelope, but wasn't sure he could deal with Morgan's questions right now.

"They are indeed. Now… Erm. Who's this? You're being very rude Dr Reid. Introduce me to your friend, whose bag I have to say, I adore." Garcia's eyes had drifted to the hand bag Persephone was carrying.

"I'm Seph. Hi." She gave a little wave, similar to one Spencer himself would normally give.

"Seph this our Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia."

"Technical Analyst? Technical goddess more like. How many times have I saved your life from the comfort of my computer chair Spencer?…. I deserve a better introduction than that." She slapped him playfully on the arm, smiling at him before looking back at Seph.

"Okay fine! I'm sorry." He laughed at the little pout of his colleagues face. "This is Penelope Garcia, soul saviour of the BAU and the very heart of our team. Better?"  
"Much…..You go through and see the boss man. I'm going to drill Seph for details on how you two know each other and why I do not know about her."

"There's nothing to know Pen."

"Oh sweetie, this is the first time you've bought a girl into work with you, there's always something to know."

He should have definitely left her at the apartment. He shot Seph a look, her tiling her head slightly at him. 'Go' she seemed to be saying 'I'll be fine'.

"Okay. I won't be long." He started to walk through the bull pen and up to his bosses office, hearing Penelope pulling Persephone along with her to Spencer's desk.

"Sit sit…. Now how do you know our resident boy genius?" He could hear her asking.

"We erm, old friends. We met a few years ago in a book store and exchanged details … We lost touch for a while, only reconnecting recently." Nicely done Seph, met in the book store. Just please don't weave too elaborate a tale, he thought to himself before knocking on his bosses door.

"Come in."

He entered, seeing his Supervisor Aaron Hotchner behind his desk, and Agent David Rossi sitting opposite, piles of paperwork between them. Cold cases, Reid saw recognising one the names.

"Sir…. I was hoping I could talk two you about the personal time you suggested I take. I…. erm, I'd like to extend it and use the rest of my owed vacation time."

Reid pulled up a seat next to Rossi, seeing his boss studying him carefully.

"Is there any specific reason for this Dr Reid? Dave, do you mind excusing us for a few moments." Agent Hotchner spoke to the other agent obviously deciding that he needed to speak with Reid in private. It wasn't often Spencer asked to take time off so his request must have alarmed him somewhat.

Rossi stood to leave but Reid held his hand up. "Rossi it's fine. There's nothing I can't say to Hotch that I can't say in front of you. I just… need some personal time is all. I know it's short notice and I'll take it unpaid if I have too, but something's come up that I need to deal with. And it's going to take me a while to deal with. I can still consult on things if it's urgent, but I'd need to do it from home."

Please don't ask questions, please please please.

"Is it your Mother Spencer? Has something happened?" Aaron watched his reactions carefully and Spencer worked hard on keeping a neutral expression. He shook his head.

"It's nothing to do with my Mom. It's… erm a friend, who needs help with something." She was kinda a friend right? They were going to be spending the next three weeks together at least. That wasn't something you did with someone who wasn't a friend.

"Does this friend happen to be the Bella-Morte you walked in with?" Rossi piped up glancing at Reid's face.

How the hell could he tell? She looked totally different from her publicity pictures.

"Didn't think we'd notice kid?"

"Nope. How for you know she's a Bella-Morte though?"

"I know her father. I'm Italian, her family is Italian…..well the name is. I've been to a few of their Galas and Charity events in my time. The question is… How do you know her. What is Dr Spencer Reid doing with Persephone Bella-Morte?"

Spencer glanced between the two profilers wondering how much to say. It wasn't his story to tell and it definitely was not his place talk about it with someone who knew her father.

"Reid?" Hotch questioned.

"I met her last night okay. And I'm helping her with some issues. Some personal issues."

"Personal issues that her family or fiancé can't help her with?" Rossi shot back.

"Ex fiancé And no, they can't." Spencer folded his arms across his chest, glancing out of the office window and seeing Seph and Garcia still deep in conversation, Garcia admiring the bag again.

The two men exchanged looks, unable to hide their concern and wondering what their co-worker had gotten himself into.

"Look it's nothing bad okay. It's nothing illegal, nothing that's going to cause problems for me." Well, providing his plan worked. "I just met her last night and got talking to her and it turns out we have some things in common. She's going through some things and I offered to help. Now can I have the time off as vacation or not?"

"And if I say no? And refuse to process the request for unpaid leave?" Hotch looked out of the window, watching Persephone interact with Penelope.

"Hotch this is important to me. This is something I need to do and I will do it. I'll write my notice out, it's that important."

It was. It really was.

"Spencer, I'll grant your request. But will you ask your friend if she'll come in here and speak with me privately for a moment?"

"Okay. But she might not want to."

"That's fine. Ask her please. Dave, I'll need you to leave to if she comes in."

Spencer left the room, asking Seph if she'd speak with his boss. She looked confused but agreed and followed him to the office.

"Persephone, long time no see. How's your father?" Rossi greeted the girl, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

"He's good, thanks Dave, he missed you at the black and white ball. " She smiled at the older man, her eyes shifting to Hotch cautiously.

"Ah well, saving lives sometimes gets in the way of me having a good time. I'll hopefully make the next one. Spencer, shall we wait outside?"

He left the room reluctantly, wanting to hover outside the closed door until Rossi led him away to where Garcia was still seated.

He barely paid attention to her questions, him wondering what the hell Aaron was asking her.

They emerged fifteen minutes later, Hotch escorting her back to the bull pen.

"Persephone, I wish you luck with your endeavours and hope that you'll return our resident genius to us in one piece."

"Persephone? You're The Damned Dead Queen? That's how you have that bag, you made it. I follow your blog! Oh honey, you need to bump me up your waiting list for one of these babies." Garcia exclaimed excitedly as Hotch pulled Spencer off to one side.

"What did she tell you?" He asked nervously.

"That you found her hanging off the side of a bridge and that you've made it your personal mission to save her." His Supervisor spoke quietly, his tone neutral.

"Reid, whilst I applaud you for trying to do what you think to be the right thing here, you're surely aware that this could and possibly will end badly?"

"I am. But I have to try right? It's like I was there for a reason. And you know I don't believe in fate. If I fail, then I fail, but I have to try."

"To try and fail is acceptable, but to fail without trying isn't. Do what you have to do Reid, I'll grant you the rest of your holiday. But be careful. Please."

"I will. Thank you Sir." He started to walk away from his boss, Seph seeing this and breaking away from Rossi and Garcia and making her way towards him ready to leave.

"Oh and Spencer?" Hotch called after him, stopping him in his tracks.

"To me, this is very clearly about Maeve."


	10. Chapter 10

Seph followed Spencer out of his office quickly, seeing the unhappy look on his face.

Something his supervisor had said had obviously annoyed him and he stalked away from his boss without a backwards glance.

She hurried after him as he hit the pavement outside, his long legs putting him strides ahead.

"Spencer….. SPENCER." He didn't respond and he didn't slow down either.

"SPENCER REID."

He stopped and she caught up with him finally.

"Are you okay? Stupid question actually, you're clearly not."

"I just want to get back to the apartment." He started walking again, his pace slightly slower than before to allow her to walk in line with him.

"Who's Maeve?" she asked quietly.

"What?"

"To me, this is very clearly about Maeve. That's what your boss said. Who is Maeve, and what does he mean?" Seph had seen the expression on his face change when Agent Hotchner had mentioned that name and she knew it was that which had triggered his reaction.

"I don't want to talk about it here."

"But you will tell me about it? Because the way he said it makes me think he means you're only helping me because of her, whoever she is. I want to know why."

"Later maybe. Look, can we please just get home. It's five already. Didn't you say the food delivery would be here soon?"

Persephone nodded.

"Okay, later."

…

It was much later when Seph saw Spencer again. They'd gotten back to the apartment and he'd gone straight to the bedroom he'd chosen for the next three weeks, shutting the door hard.

Considering how reluctant he'd been to leave Seph in the apartment alone, she'd been very surprised that he'd shut himself away. He must be upset but she didn't know him well enough to know whether she should pry or not. Seph chose to leave him alone for a while, accepting the grocery delivery Andrea had arranged and unpacking it, pouring herself a glass of wine as she put everything away. Andrea had thought of everything, all the basic food items plus toiletries like bubble baths and soaps.

Feeling at a loss, she decided to have a bath, taking the wine bottle into the bathroom.

The tub was huge and as Seph slid under the bubbles she felt a sense of calm settling over her. Persephone loved the bath, she could spend hours in one just reading or thinking, occasionally falling asleep and waking up to cold water. Closing her eyes she felt herself drifting off and decided to just let the tiredness over take her.

When Seph woke up, a good hour and a half had passed. She quickly washed her hair and shaved her legs, wrapping herself in the towels the apartment rental company had provided and heading back to her room to moisturise and get changed. Slipping into the oversized t-shirt she slept in, Seph pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and wandered back to the living area. The door to Reid's room was still closed, he'd been in there for a good three hours now. Time to intervene. She grabbed another wine glass, tucking the bottle under her arm and went to knock on his door. Not hearing an answer, she tentatively turned the handle to the door pushing it open.

He was lying on his bed on his side, music playing quietly on the laptop he'd bought with him from his home. Mozart, she recognised. Although Spencer's eyes were closed, she could tell he wasn't asleep.

Placing the two glasses and the bottle on the bedside table, she crawled on the bed next to him and lay behind him. Unsure how to proceed at first, she made a judgement call and scooted closer to him.

Reaching out with with her hand she began stroking his arm gently, seeing him stiffen to begin with. Seph continued, remembering how Alex used to climb into bed and do this to her whenever she were feeling down. She didn't have to say anything, but Seph knew she was there and that made all the difference.

He slowly began to relax and after a while she wriggled closer so that they were almost spooning, but not quite. Although properly spooning him would have been out of the question anyway, him being too tall. Seph let her arm drop, her hand resting near his, not quite sure whether she should take it into hers as Alex would normally have done.

"Sorry." He whispered quietly, his voice slightly croaky.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about Spencer Reid."

"Yes I do. I shouldn't have taken you with me, shouldn't have let Hotch interrogate you like I'm sure he did."

Seph flexed her fingers slightly feeling for his wrist in the dark and tentatively stroking the little bone that jutted out.

"He didn't interrogate me. He was concerned about you and why you suddenly felt compelled to take time off work and help someone you barely knew. So I told him the basics. He assured me he wouldn't say anything to anyone but that he'd strongly recommended that I seek professional help and guidance from someone other than you."

"He said that?" Although his voice was still barely above a whisper, she could still detect the annoyance in it.

"He said you'd had a rough enough year already and that if you became attached to me and couldn't save me, then it would pretty much break you. Not in those exact words but that was the gist. He was very nice about it and offered to put me in touch with a professional. I don't want that though. But I don't want you to feel that you have to do this. He was right. We barely know each other. Aside from what Google will have told us. If you want to leave then leave. You don't owe me anything, Spencer."

"I don't want you to kill yourself. Please don't do it."

"I can't say that I won't. Because it feels like the best way out still. An end to the disappointment that is my life. An end to the feelings of worthlessness and failure. And an end to feeling like I have to please everyone else but myself."

"You don't have to feel that way though. You're not a failure. You at least tried. Some people don't even manage that."

"I do feel that way though. I'm just tired of trying. Tired of existing….. If it means anything to you though, I'm glad you found me last night. It's enlightening to know that some stranger would stop and actually act like they care about me."

It was, and it was one of the only things making Persephone reconsider her choice.

She'd known Spencer Reid for less than 24 hours but she knew that if she went ahead with her original plan, it would impact on him. Never mind what it would do to her friends and family. She'd gotten over that four weeks ago when she'd come to the decision that she were going to end her life. But this kind hearted stranger who had taken her into his home and was willing to give up three weeks of his life trying to change your mind…..

That bothered her. More than she wanted to admit.

"I'm not acting Persephone. I do care. I think you could have a fantastic life if you wanted to. You could make it fantastic."

Seph's hand found his in the dark, sliding her fingers through his and squeezing.

"I don't know how to though."

"Which is why I'm going to help you. I said that I would and I'm not backing out. Regardless of what Hotch thinks. He may be may be right but I need to try. In fact, Hotch summed this up himself. 'To try and fail is acceptable, but to fail without trying is not.' So I'm going to try to change your life. Starting with tonight."

He squeezed her hand back before pulling away from and rolling off the bed. Standing up, he moved to the chest of drawers and picked up a wooden box.

"You wanted to learn to play chess right? Let's go. Let's cross the first item off your list."

Chess. Well, it was on her list. Why Seph had added it when she was fifteen, she didn't know. But it was there, and she had a man willing to teach her.

"Okay. But first. Food. I need something to soak up the wine if I'm going to learn how to kick someone's ass at a game. "

He laughed." The only way you'd win, is if I let you. But I'll go easy on you to begin with."

"I'd much prefer it if you went hard on me, Spencer Reid" Seph purred in her best flirtatious voice, grinning at him.

He just laughed, the sadness from earlier evaporating.

"Come on Persephone" He emphasised her full name. "Let's get some food. I'll begin on easy, and then if you can handle the pressure, I'll go harder." He raised his eyebrows and her grin grew wider.

So the boy could flirt after all. Nice.

Seph crawled off his bed and followed him to the kitchen. She'd press him for details on this Maeve person another time.


	11. Chapter 11

A hour later, and Spencer and Seph were sitting outside on the balcony, heating lamps turned on to ward off the autumn chill, a bottle of wine and a chess board between them on the table.

Spencer set the board up, Seph watching him intently her legs crossed underneath her on the chair and a blanket she'd found in one of the closets wrapped around her shoulders. They had a quick dinner of pasta and chicken, Seph melting cream cheese and using it to flavour the pasta.

Spencer could tell that Persephone had wanted more details about Maeve and why it had caused him to storm off when Hotch had bought her up. Shutting himself off from her as they got back to their home away from home, he'd thought back to his bosses words, realising that to some extent he was right. He hadn't been able to save Maeve, he'd done his best to negotiate with her killer but she'd seen through his ruse and pulled the trigger anyway. This was a different situation, he was trying to save someone from themselves rather than another person even though he knew that really, the only person who could truly save Persephone was herself. But essentially it was the same thing. Spencer Reid trying to come to the rescue. He wondered how badly this would break him if he failed. And _that_ was why Hotch was worried about him.

He'd been surprised when she'd joined him on his bed, her touch startling him initially but then calming and soothing him. He would normally have shrugged anyone else touching him off and asked them to leave him alone. But she'd left him alone for long enough and well, he needed to stop brooding. The incident had happened ten months ago now, but it still cut like a knife to the bone whenever someone mentioned her.

Surveying the chess board in front of him, he took a sip of his wine before glancing at his opponent.

"How much do you know about chess?" He asked Seph, wanting to gage her knowledge first.

"That I have to check mate someone? And to protect my King at all costs right?"

"Kind of." Spencer went on to explain the basics and how the game worked, surprised to see that her eyes didn't glaze over as people's normally did when he talked about a topic for any length of time. She actually looked interested, leaning forward in her seat and interrupting him to ask questions if she didn't understand something.

"The important thing to remember is that you shouldn't be trying to check mate your opponent in the opening. You should be focusing on getting your pieces to their optimal places on the board. You ready to try?"

"Ready as I'll ever be Spencer Reid. Just… Go easy on me." She wriggled on her seat, uncrossing and recrossing her legs.

"I thought you didn't want that Persephone." The emphasis on her full name again. He could see this was now going to be their thing. Wow… Knowing someone for 24 hours and already having a thing. Hopefully a thing that wouldn't be over in 23 days.

"I see you've chosen to take my flirting in the good way." She grinned at him and took a gulp of wine.

He nodded at her, a slight smile on his lips. He had chosen to take her flirting in a positive way. Initially he'd felt awkward and wasn't sure how to take her remarks, but seeing the smile on her face when he bantered back was worth any awkwardness he felt. It was a smile that reached her eyes too, not one that looked false and plastered on.

"Okay so white goes first so I'll move okay. Just ask if you're not sure and I'll try to hint at what you should do without out rightly telling you."

He moved his first piece, waiting for her move.

…..

Three hours later and Seph was staring intently at the chess board. They'd played through three games already, she'd picked it up quickly after the first go and Spencer was actually enjoying playing against her.

It was rare he lost a game of chess, the only person who'd been able to beat him had been Gideon. Normally he was very good at anticipating an amateurs next move, having already mapped out the game in his head. Seph wasn't playing like an amateur though. He could see her studying the board, her lips moving as she recounted the rules in her head, running through her possible moves. And when she did move, it was often the opposite to how he'd expected her to go, causing him to actually have to think his turn through. A bit more practice and she could actually turn out to be a formidable player. But she wasn't going to win tonight. Nope.

She moved and he checked the board seeing what she hadn't. Three moves later and "Check mate." He had her King trapped, with no available moves on her side.

She let out a groan of frustration, closing her eyes briefly. When she opened them she stared at him. "I thought I might have had you then. But I doubted myself and went a different way."

She thought she might have had him?

"Show me what you would have done differently."

She reset the board back to two moves prior and showed him.

"I thought if I moved this piece to here" She mimicked her actions on the board "Then you would have had to move here, and then I could have moved this piece to that square and checked you. But I couldn't remember if it was an illegal move or not and I didn't want to ask."

This girl would definitely be a formidable player after a few more practices.

"You should have gone with your instincts Seph. If you'd have done that, then I would have lost for the first time in five years….. To an amateur as well. Wow." He couldn't hide the astonishment from his voice.

"Can we play again another day?" She asked.

"We definitely can. But I have to say, I'm exhausted. Which is my only excuse for not being able to see that move you could have pulled in the first place. And it's quite late. So bed? Tomorrow we'll see about how we can accomplish some of these other points okay."

"Okay."

Spencer stood to go inside, packing up the chess pieces and board. Seph made no move to follow him. He turned to her about to say something when she beat him to it.

"I'm just gonna stay out for a bit longer okay. It's nice out here. Don't worry, I won't fling myself over the edge, I promise." She gave him a small smile, pulling the blanket around her tighter.

"Okay…..let me know if you need anything."

Her mood seemed to have dropped suddenly and he sensed that she wanted to be alone for a bit. He didn't think she'd try anything, him now believing that she would keep her word.

Just as he was about to go through the door, he heard her say to him softly "Thank you."  
….

Spencer couldn't sleep. He'd been trying to for an hour but it wasn't coming. His mouth felt dry so he heaved himself off the bed and made his way to the kitchen.

To his surprise, the heating lamp was still on outside and as he made his way to the balcony door, he could see that Seph was still outside.

Her knees were tucked up to her chin, her arms wrapped around them and he could make out the movement of her shoulders racking gently. She was crying.

Did he go out to her? She'd stayed out there because she'd wanted to be alone.

But then again, she'd come in to him earlier and her presence had helped.

Making a decision he opened the door and stepped out, walking over to her and kneeling to the floor in front of her.

Her face was buried in her arms but he'd seen her move when he'd opened the door. She knew he'd come out to her.

Wordlessly he placed his hands on her arms, his thumbs making small stroking gestures. She sniffed and raised her head, her red rimmed eyes meeting his, tears streaming down her face. Lowering her knees she moved forward suddenly, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to his t-shirt, her face now buried into his shoulder her tears soaking the thin material.

Surprised by the sudden contact, he acted quickly and pulled her closer, his own arms now around her waist and rubbing her back in what he hoped was a soothing measure.

Not knowing the words to say to ease he pain, he just let her cry. He couldn't take away her pain, but he could hold her whilst she cried through it.

He'd hold her for as long as it took.


	12. Chapter 12

Persephone had been crying for at least forty minutes before Spencer had come outside.

She hadn't even wanted to cry, she'd just wanted a few moments to herself. And then a shooting star had burst across the sky. The only other time Seph had seen one had been with Alex and that had been a few a years ago when they'd taken a beach holiday to Greece together. Seeing the star had just made her remember that holiday and all the good times they'd had together, and as Seph thought about her dead best friend, the tears had started to fall, turning into loud sobs shortly after.

Spencer had come outside and just been there for her. Without saying anything. This person who she'd known for a day, had bought more comfort to her by just holding her and letting her cry, than Seph's family and friends had.

She didn't know how long she'd clung to him, but he never made her feel as though he was annoyed with her for crying on him. He'd just rubbed her back and smoothed Seph's hair, wrapping the blanket that had slipped off her shoulders back around them both. When she were all cried out, she pulled away from him and apologised, now exhausted.

"You don't need to be sorry, Seph. Are you okay now?" He'd asked quietly, eyes full of concern.

"I think so. Thank you…. for that. It's actually been so long since someone else has seen me cry but I seem to be doing it a lot around you." When he'd found her at the bridge, she'd been crying. It always seemed to happen outside, near large drops. Huh.

Seph thanked him again, reaching up and kissing his cheek lightly before taking herself off to bed to sleep, the darkness of sleep coming almost instantly.

…

When she awoke the next morning it was to the smell of bacon cooking and the sounds of clattering coming from the kitchen. Seph checked her phones quickly, seeing messages from her Mum, Edward, and Helen. She ignored the one from Edward, quickly replying to her Mother and then reading Helen's.

Helen missed her, and wondered when she'd be coming back to the city. She'd heard about Edward and was sorry he was such a dick head.

Helen was Persephone's 'sort of' assistant. She'd started working at Lux when she was 17 to Seph's 23, on a work based apprenticeship and she'd been placed in the Branding and Design department. Despite the age difference, she and Hels had struck up a friendship and she'd been taken on at Lux full time when her apprenticeship had ended.

When Seph announced she was leaving, Helen had begged to come with her and work as her assistant. But Seph couldn't afford to pay her. So she'd remained at Lux, working her arse off there and then coming to help in the evenings and weekends wherever she could. Seph had promised her that if TDDQ did ever take off, then she'd hire her full time and pay back pay for all her help and efforts. She was genuinely as excited as Seph had been, wanting to be part of something new, and she had an eye for design and detail too, as well as a brain full of ideas.

She was another person who Persephone had shut out when Alex had died, and she knew she'd hurt her by doing so. Seph replied to her message telling her that she missed her too and that hopefully she'd be back in a few weeks. Hels replied almost immediately saying she couldn't wait to see her and to let her know if she could do anything. Seph had forgotten how kind and caring the girl was, someone she hadn't really considered in her decision making process.

Pulling herself out of bed and slipping her shorts and t-shirt on, Seph made her way into the kitchen, seeing Spencer plating up bacon and eggs, the bacon only slightly burnt.

"I was just about to come and wake you up." He said when he saw her enter.

"The burning smell woke me up" Seph teased, smiling at him as she pulled up a seat at the breakfast bar and pouring a glass of OJ from the jug on the table.

"Well I had to toss the first lot, I forgot they were under and they were burnt to a crisp. These aren't quite as bad, but I can make more?"

"Nah, they look fine..I prefer my bacon slightly burnt anyway. Although I'll always prefer English bacon to this American stuff."

"What's the difference exactly?" Spencer placed two plates, along with cutlery and then climbed onto the seat next to her.

"I can't explain it, you'd just have to taste it to know….. If you go to England, you'll have to try it."

"Well maybe you could take me to somewhere in England to try it. What's better than trying something English, in England, with an English person?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, seeing him doing the same thing back as he took a mouthful of scrambled eggs. Seph knew what he was doing, trying to get her to make plans for the future.

"Maybe….."

"Maybe."

"We'll see" she countered.

"I can work with that. Now…. Your list. We've crossed chess off right? You can now play and you very nearly beat me. Clearly a fluke…But that's one thing done." He took another mouthful.

"Yep. One thing down" she agreed.

"The Inca Trail, we're not going to be able to achieve that in the next 22 days. Can we put that on hold for after your birthday? I'd love to visit Machu Picchu but it's not something we can do at the drop of the hat, we need permits and a guide. So…. I was thinking we could book it for next year"

"We? And next year…"

"I'm working on the assumption that we somehow achieve everything else and you change your mind. And yes, we. It's something I'd like to do as well. So, could we do it together?" He was nervous asking the last question, his voice going up an octave.

Seph considered his request.

"Okay. If my mind gets changed, then it'll be a pleasure walking the Inca Trail with you Spencer Reid." It probably would be too.

"Okay so the next thing, performing at karaoke or an open mic night. I presume this means you can sing?"

"People tell me I can, and I was in a few shows at school. But I've never really performed anywhere. Never really had the guts to do it. Alex made me put that one on the list too. She thought it would be good for me to get out there. That it would give me confidence"

"Can you sing for me now?" He asked, finishing the last of his breakfast.

"Nope….. it's too early for that shit. Pull up youtube on your phone and search for Alexandra The Great. It's a YouTube channel she made years ago, and she posted a video of me singing when I was about twenty. I presume it's still there. I was recording an audition tape for a reality show in Britain and she found it."

"Did you apply then?" He pulled out his phone, searching.

"Oh I applied, and I was asked to come in for the televised auditions. But my parents found out and told me if I went, they'd cut me off. They do that lot apparently, threaten to cut me off. It just wouldn't do to have a Bella-Morte appearing on some trashy TV show" Seph mimicked her Mother with the last line.

"Okay, I've found her account. There's two videos showing a Seph Dawn. Maybe and I'm so sick. I don't think I recognise either of the song names."

"One's a Kelly Clarkson cover, that was my audition, and the other is me pissing about on the game Rockband. It's a band called Flyleaf. I forgot she'd posted that. Don't watch it, it gets a bit…. screamy. Also… Wear headphones please. I don't need to hear myself right now."

He slid of his stool and strode into his bedroom, returning with his ipod and headphones. He disconnected them and plugged them into his phone, sitting back down.

Finishing her breakfast, Seph collected the plates and rinsed them off, loading them into the dishwasher along with the dishes and utensils Spencer had used to prepare the meal.

Ten minutes later he removed the headphones, turning on the stool to look at her.

"You're good. Very good. And the Rockband one…. The noises that came out of your mouth. Woah. You can play the guitar too?" In the Kelly Clarkson cover, Seph had accompanied herself on an acoustic guitar.

"Piano too. The boarding school I was at focused heavily on music as an extra curricular activity. And yeah…. The noises hurt, but I wanted to see if I could do it."

"And you could. Okay. We can cross this one off your list fairly easily. I just need to speak to Garcia. She'll know somewhere that has a decent open mic night. Do you know what you'd sing?" He started texting on his phone.

"I think so yes." Persephone had a good idea of a song she'd sing and if the bar had a keyboard, she could accompany herself too. If not, she'd just buy one.

"Good… And maybe the kiss a complete stranger could come off the back of this… If we're in a bar anyway, they'll be plenty of willing men I'm sure. If he's someone you like, then perhaps the spending a whole 24 hours devouring someone could come from that too." He blushed slightly as he mentioned the last point, and she giggled.

"Maybe…. Who knows? Have you ever done that Spencer Reid, spent a full 24 hours in bed with someone?" She watched him open and close his mouth a few times before answering.

"No. I haven't. It's not often I spend a full night with someone. Generally it's just sex and then one of us leaves. And it's not very often it happens either."

"And why not?" Why not indeed. Spencer was definitely attractive enough, but then again he did seem somewhat awkward. He was missing that raw confidence that some men had. If he had that, he'd be unstoppable Seph were sure.

"It just doesn't." He looked away from her as he spoke, embarrassed.

"But you'd like it too?"

"I don't…. I don't know okay. Most girls don't like me. I ramble, my hair's too long and I'm weird. I don't know how to to talk to girls unless it's in a professional manner."

"Some girls like weird… And you talked to me. You managed to talk me back over to the other side of a bridge. Alright, you're not conventionally attractive. I'll give you that. But you ARE attractive. And you're kind and genuine and smart. And you care. That counts for a lot."

"You think I'm attractive?" Was that all he'd taken from that?

"I do actually. Which is odd because you're not what I'd normally find attractive. But yes, I think you're hot."

He blushed even deeper than before, fidgeting in his seat. Maybe he could be Seph's "change someone else's life for the better". If he was lacking a partner it seemed to be because he didn't realise what a catch he was. Perhaps she could help him realise and help him find someone. In three weeks.

His phone started to ring and he frowned at the number, before realisation dawned on his face and he stood, quickly retreating to his bedroom, explaining that he needed to take the call.

She continued tidying up the kitchen as she waited for him to finish, wondering what the plan for the day would be.

He returned fifteen minutes later.

"How easy would it be for your clothing designs to be altered?" He asked, cell phone still in his hand.

"If they were being taken in, fairly easy. If they were being let out, it would take a bit more time but it would still be doable. Why?"

"Can you have your designs couriered here? Along with your materials. Specifically these five dresses?" He swiped through pictures on his phone that were attached to an email.

"I can probably have them here tomorrow if I needed to."

"Okay. Do that please. We'll need to make plans to get to LA too."

"Wait why?"

"I can't say right now. But….. Can you do it? And I'll sort travel arrangements out."

"No you won't…. If this is to help me, take my credit card." He fought her for a bit on this, but Seph were stubborn too and eventually he relented, taking her card and tapping away on his phone some more.

Seph called Helen, her gushing when she picked up the phone. After speaking to her for a few minutes, she got down to business, asking if Helen could go to her apartment and arrange to courier the items along with her sewing materials over to you. She'd get on it ASAP Helen told her, agreeing to text her when the arrangements had been made. They chatted for a while longer, Seph realising how much she'd missed talking to her. When she hung up, Persephone was definitely intrigued, wondering what her new friend had in store and how it involved LA.

Finding him in the living area she asked him what their plans for the day were.

"Some more chess?" He offered.

"So you don't want to go back to bed for 24 hours then and help me tick that off?"

His mouth resembled a goldfish's again.

"Chess it is. "


	13. Chapter 13

The rest of the morning had been spent talking with Seph and playing chess in the apartment. Spencer couldn't help but feel excited about his plan to help her with her business. The contact he'd spoken with had been genuinely excited about the designs and depending on what happened in three days, this could have a huge impact and hopefully be enough for Seph to get the business started.

He'd been surprised to hear her singing, her voice not at all what he'd expected from talking to her. Her speaking voice changed dramatically depending on what she was talking about anyway, Spencer had picked up that when she was happy, it was more bubbly, more tone and variance to it. If she was flirting or being sarcastic, it was a drier tone, more dead pan and drawn out, lazy sounding. And if she was sad or contemplative, it was quiet and soft, and she sounded very young and somehow more English. Her singing voice wasn't like any of sounds he'd heard coming from her, it was strong and clear, powerful yet sweet. He'd asked her before they set about playing chess, what plays she'd been in and who she'd played. And he hadn't been surprised to discover that she'd had roles like Eponine and Elphaba in her schools productions, her voice clearly being able to handle the songs. The Flyleaf song had shocked him though. He wasn't familiar with the song, and when it kicked in and he'd heard the scream, he'd jumped a little, wondering how someone so small could make that noise. She'd told him that it hurt, and that she could no longer do it, and he wasn't surprised.

He'd messaged Penelope asking for a decent bar than ran open mic nights, her immediately pestering him for more information. When he'd told her it was for Seph, her immediate response had been "The Damned Dead Queen sings too? Oh my sweet sweet genius, I am definitely coming to see that." He wasn't sure how Seph would feel about that piece of information, but he was sure he'd work something out.

She messaged him again a few hours later, giving him the name of a bar that had an open mic night tomorrow and had a spot left. They had to go sign up in person though.

Eating a quick lunch together, they got ready and headed back out into the city. The bar was a fair few blocks away, taking them a good twenty five minutes to walk there.

They talked as they walked learning more things about each other and discovering that they had a similar taste in TV shows and films. Seph loved movies, all movies, and given her connections she'd been to a fair few film festivals, including Cannes.

He was jealous and expressed his feelings so, Seph laughing.

"I'll tell you what, I'll take you next year okay?"

Realising what she'd said a few seconds later, she clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Seph it's okay you know. You can make plans for the future." He stopped in the street and tugged her hand away from her mouth, finding the gesture somewhat intimate in a way.

"But it's a future I haven't decided if I'm living yet…. " She whispered quietly, continuing to walk on.

"You don't have to decide yet, but make plans. Give yourself something to look forward to. Like Machu Picchu. We can do that together and we can do Cannes together, and you can take me to England to eat bacon." He caught up with her, catching a look at her face and seeing her mouth set in a thin line, her eyes glazed over and her thoughts now somewhere else.

"I'm sorry." He said gently, pulling her to the side of the pavement. They were at their destination although Seph had nearly walked past it.

She looked down at the ground for a moment, briefly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "It's okay. Are we here?"

"Yep. Garcia says this is the place… Although, she erm… wants to come and watch."

Seph shrugged her shoulders. "That doesn't bother me. I've asked Helen to send a bag for her as well seeing as she actually follows my blog and knows the brand. So I need to see her again anyway."

"You realise if she comes, she'll end up dragging the rest of the team with her right?"

"Your supervisor and Rossi will be discreet about who I am, I'm sure. And Agent Hotchner promised he wouldn't repeat my conversation with him, unless it was with a coroner."

"They'd be discreet. But Garcia is an Internet whiz….. She'll have discovered who you actually are by now, now that she's met you and knows you run that site."

"Ah…. Okay. Well….. Hmmmm. Okay."

"Pen can be discreet too if she has too."

"Alright, let's go sign me up."

They entered the bar together, seeing that it was quite busy already even though it was only mid afternoon. They went straight to the bar, a young girl in a black polo shirt bearing the bars name coming over to greet you.

"Hi! What can I get you?" She asked, a grin plastered on her face.

"My friend called up earlier, has the spot for the open mic night tomorrow been filled?" Spencer spoke to her, leaning over the bar slightly to talk to her.

"Are you Penny's friends?" The girl responded, grabbing a notepad from behind the bar.

"Er yes, we are."

"She gave me a name on the phone…. Persephone Dawn. I presume that's you?" She looked at Seph quizzically. Seph nodded.

"Awesome, great bag by the way." She nodded to Seph's bag where she'd placed it on the bar. "So I told Penny that ya just needed to come down, and play us something first. We kinda pride ourselves on showcasing the best undiscovered artists."

"I have to play for you now? Like live?" Anxiety suddenly coating Persephone voice.

"We prefer live yes, just because recordings can be doctored. We'll go into the back room, you don't have to do it out here. I'm Ariadne by the way. I'm the entertainment manager here at The Blue Spark. Do you have something you can sing for me?"

"Erm…. I think so yes." Spencer noticed a slight increase to Seph's breathing, she was nervous.

"Okay, come round to the back." She signalled to a door to the side of the bar, yelling to one of her colleagues to cover her. Seph walked around, looking behind her to make sure Spencer was following her. He was.

She walked through the door, meeting Ariadne in the hallway and following her down the corridor and into a store room.

"Do you need any music? Something to accompany yourself with?" she asked her.

"Do you have a piano, or keyboard?" Seph looked around the room to see what she could spot.

"We have a keyboard, let me grab it and set it up." She disappeared from the room for a few minutes.

"You okay?" Reid placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling how tense she was all of a sudden.

"Yeah…. It's just been a while since I've actually done this in front of anyone."

"Just breathe okay. I've heard you, you've got a fantastic voice." Spencer rubbed her shoulder slightly, watching her lean into his grip and roll her neck trying to relieve some of the tension.

Ariadne returned a few minutes later carrying a huge electric keyboard. She placed it on some crates and dragged them over to Seph, stronger than she looked. Disappearing again, she returned with an extension cord and plugged the instrument on.

"Sorry, most people bring their own instruments. We have this and a few guitars lying around for those who don't realise they need to audition for us."

"Yeah, I didn't realise.. Sorry."

"It's fine… So, whenever you're ready."

Ariadne perched on another crate across the small room and Spencer stepped away too.

He watched as Seph ran her long fingers over the keys, testing them out first, before starting to form a melody, an opening to a song he didn't recognise.

Clearing her throat, her eyes closed, she began to sing.

" _I push all my problems to the back of my mind  
Then they surface in my dreams, they come alive  
I sweep all my issues to somewhere I can't find  
In hope that I'll forget but there's just so many times_

 _Why can't I be strong and just confront all my fears?  
When my fear is hurting you by being sincere  
But how many more days can I run? How many years?  
Emotions flooding and now it's all seeming so clear_

 _Crying for no reason, feel the tears roll down  
I felt strong but am I breaking now?  
Crying for no reason 'cause I buried it deep  
I made promises I could not keep  
'Cause I never faced all the pain I caused  
Now the pain is hitting me full force"_

Spencer definitely didn't recognise the song, wondering if it was one she'd written herself.

"Katy B, right? I love her… My friend from London told me about her a few years ago." Ariadne grinned at Seph.

Obviously not an original song, just an artist Reid hadn't heard before. Very interesting song choice though. But more importantly, he wanted to know if she'd got the gig.

"Okay! You go on at ten tomorrow. You need four songs, preferably a mix. If you have backing music then you can drop it in tomorrow and we'll check it plays. If you need instruments and don't have your own with you then you can use ours. We have a dressing room too if you want to change here. Tables fill up by seven though, so if you have friends wanting to come then tell them to get here early okay."

"Erm….. Erm…. "

"Hun relax, you've got a great voice. They'll love you okay. Everyone's gotta start somewhere right. Paramore played here once when they were starting out, so did John Mayer."

"Okay. Thanks. We'll erm.. see you tomorrow." Seph stood and started leading Spencer to the door, stopping before she exited.

"Ariadne….. Is there a music shop that's sells instruments anywhere nearby? I need to practice and I don't have anything with me. I need somewhere I can get a keyboard and an acoustic guitar"

Ariadne thought for a moment, wrinkling her brow.

"All the other players tomorrow have their own instruments…. Your friends of Penny's and she's a good friend of mine. You can take ours okay."

Persephone looked taken aback. "Are you sure?"

"Yep yep… It's fine. I know Penny's good for it. I'll grab the guitar for you now, just unplug the keyboard."

She left the room again and Spencer unplugged the instrument, wrapping the cord around it and tucking it under his arm.

"We'll get a cab home okay. I need to practice. And think of four songs."

He nodded at you and Ariadne returned, handing Seph a guitar case.

"I look forward to seeing you again Persephone Dawn. And I'm interested to see what songs you choose."

Spencer was too.


End file.
